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Account of a Voyage to California

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Journal of a voyage to California 1852 as Kept by W.D. Heis , 31p. quarto, with a wonderful pencil sketch entitled Sovereign of the Seas Dismasted. October 10/52." It reads in part: "...On the 29th day of July 1852, I started in company with Messrs. H.W. Loucks, D.Z. Mane and J.T. Vandeuren on a voyage round the horn to California. ...We left Albany at 7 PM on board the steamboat Isaac Newton. We were soon hurried amid the hustle and confusion of a steamboat to the city of New York....We proceeded to secure passage on board the clipper ship 'Sovereign of the Seas.' bound to San Francisco, Capt. I. McKay to sail on Wednesday, August 4. The Sovereign of the Seas is a new vessel built at Boston by Mr. Donald McKay brother of the captain....She has the largest spars and is the largest merchant vessel afloat in the whole world. Her crew consists of 90 men before the mast. ...On Wednesday August 4, 1852, we went on board at 1/2 past 6 ock AM and found a number of persons on board...at 1 PM I was attacked by sea sickness and turned in...[8/5] The passengers were all sick in their state rooms but 4...[Sunday 8/8]This is my first sabbath at sea...the same God rules over the sea as well as upon the land...[8/9]Water bad and captain cross and endeavour to compel the passengers to submit to harsh treatment...[8/13] took a bath - that is I lay under a pump and had sea water pumped over me. Saw a number of dolphin following ship. 1st mate rigged a harpoon and struck one from the chains but lost him. One of the cabin boys caught one...[8/16]After breakfast all hands were called aft to see a man punished for stealing. He received a dozen lashes and confessed and implicated another who also received a dozen. The person first placed in irons refused to apologize and he received a dozen also...[8/24]heard a quarrel between the Captain and first mate, it ended by the captain dismissing the mate and ordering him under arrest to his state room. The cause of the quarrel was the captain had been informed that the mate had been in the habit of going to his room and leaving the vessel in charge of the sailors when he should have been on the look out. And when reprimanded he called the captain a liar. The captain of a vessel has supreme power over the officers and sailors under his command...[8/27]an accident has just occurred. In raising the mizzentop gallant yard the chain parted on account of a defective link. The chain came to the deck with a tremendous crash. Three men were severely injured on the head by the chain and blocks....[9/1] saw a sperm whale...[9/7]saw a sword fish and thrasher in pursuit of a whale. The whale was apparently dying. It often occurs that the sword fish and thrasher kill a whale...[9/23]Woke up by Doctor went on deck and saw land in sight to the N.W. We are now opposite to the mount of the Straits of Le Maire....[9/24]went on deck and saw 2 men in irons for having refused to turn out and help tack ship...When we crossed the equator the captain promised to open a bottle of brandy which was bottled in 1832 whenever we should have passed or rounded Cape Horn. We have had a nice punch from that brandy, songs were sung and toasts given. My toast was The Sovereign of the Seas may she show to the commercial world that she is not misnamed...[9/25] We are now in the Pacific ocean and the difference can readily be perceived. Long swells are the characteristic of the Pacific, while short seas mark the Atlantic ocean...[10/11] woke by a tremendous crash and the cry of mast overboard. I dressed and went on deck and found the fore and main mast stripped as low as the tops and the mizzen top gallant & royal mast gone over board and hanging overboard in one confused mass. The wind has subsided and the crew are busy lashing the rigging to the vessel. ..[10/12] went on deck and saw a sight which I am unable to describe. Masts, spars and rigging all hanging overboard in a confused mass. The foremast is completely stripped. All hands are busy cleaning away...Most of the rigging will be saved unless there should come on a blow. 7 PM Captain has discharged the crew for the night as they are very much fatigued and has requested the passengers to assist in rigging some sail. We rigged a foresail and set the crossjack and mizzentop sail. I have sketch of the wreck made by a young boy Daniel Gorham aged 15...[10/25]Capt. went forward and ordered a man to finish a certain piece of work before he turned in. The man refused and drew a knife and threatened to stab the captain. The captain came aft and got a couple of sabres and accompanied by his mate brought the man aft and took his knife from him and put him in double irons and confined him in the [?] hatch...[11/2]Today is the election for President in the United States. Capt has given hiss permission for to hold election tonight. The whole number of votes cast 59. For Franklin Pierce 46...Winfield Scott 13..." VG.^tSovereign of the Seas was a clipper ship launched in 1852. She was built by Donald McKay of East Boston in the U.S.A. She was the first ship to travel more than 400 miles in 24 hours. On the second leg of her maiden voyage, she set a record passage from Honolulu Hawaii to New York, arriving in 82 days. She then broke the record to Liverpool England, making the passage in 13 days, 13.5 hours. In 1853 she was chartered by James Baines & Co. of the Black Ball Line, Liverpool for the Australia trade. On that route in 1854, she recorded the fastest speed ever for a sailing ship, logging 22 knots.^tSovereign of the Seas was a clipper ship launched in 1852. She was built by Donald McKay of East Boston in the U.S.A. She was the first ship to travel more than 400 miles in 24 hours. On the second leg of her maiden voyage, she set a record passage from Honolulu Hawaii to New York, arriving in 82 days. She then broke the record to liverpool England, making the passage in 13 days, 13.5 hours. In 1853 she was chartered by James Baines & Co. of the Black Ball Line, Liverpool for the Australia trade. On that route in 1854, she recorded the fastest speed ever for a sailing ship, logging 22 knots.

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